Ohio Crappie Fishing Secrets

During the spring in Ohio, crappie fishing is at its best and draws anglers out in droves to find the biggest slabs around. While in many areas, crappie tend to be inconsistent in numbers from year to year based on their reproductive cycles, Ohio lakes tend to produce large quantities of the sunfish every year with little fluctuation. Because of its predictably good return, Ohio crappie fishing is one of the most prominent places for spring fishing trips.

There are probably five areas that could be considered the hottest Ohio crappie fishing locales in the state. Sandusky Bay is definitely among those top spots, with large schools of big crappie. Here, according to many anglers, it is less common to see a crappie under 10 inches in length than to catch several that are 15- or 17-inches long. Reports claim that you could possibly catch more crappie in Sandusky Bay in a single day than you could in any other location in Ohio all year long. Arguably, this is certainly a great start to a spring season of Ohio crappie fishing. Be aware, however, that waters here tend to be quite shallow. While this makes it warm more quickly for an excellent early spring fishing experience, it also means choppy waters and no room for deep bottom boats.

Delaware Lake has also been considered a consistent location for large quantities of both black and white crappie. This 948-acre lake contains about 21 miles of shoreline where crappie can find areas of brush to provide cover in the spring and summer months, when they prefer more shallow waters. For success, in the early spring, troll the lake's southern portions, where you'll find deep channels full of fat, languid crappie or along the eastern shore south of the marina. As it gets warmer in Ohio, crappie fishing will be better at the shallower, northern end of the lake.

You can also find great Ohio crappie fishing near Columbus at Alum Creek Lake. Just 7 miles north of the city, this 3,269-acre lake has 70 miles of shoreline and lots of areas that make excellent crappie breeding and living grounds. Be sure to troll the fallen timber areas along the steep banks and dropoffs, where many larger crappie tend to hold, especially as the waters begin to warm. The creek also has long bays and backwaters at the north end where crappie can be caught easily in the spring.